Yeah, this is normally started 2 weeks before the convention begins, but necessity is not just the mother of invention, it is the bearer of bad news. There will be no panels for Game of Thrones (still filming season 8 in Europe), Westworld (unknown reason why they’re skipping) nor Outlander (they’re waiting until New York Comic Con in October to unveil their new season peek).

Also, due to the sexual harassment allegations swirling around Chris Hardwick, he “voluntarily withdrew” (told to make himself scarce?) from moderating BBC and AMC’s annual panels.

Honestly, not as much as previous years. Castle Rock and Nightflyers are the only shows confirmed to make an appearance that I am interested in. I am a big fan of Stephen King so I’m really excited about Castle Rock and J.J. Abrams involvement makes me optimistic. As someone who read A Song of Ice and Fire before watching Game of Thrones, I’m stoked to see GRRM’s other works being adapted to reach a wider audience. Regarding Game of Thrones, I can understand HBO’s decision to not include it this year but Westworld skipping makes no sense to me. I am also hoping for more details regarding Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen series om HBO and Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone.

Honestly, not as much as previous years. Castle Rock and Nightflyers are the only shows confirmed to make an appearance that I am interested in. I can understand HBO’s decision to not include Game of Thrones this year but Westworld skipping makes no sense to me. I am also hoping for more details regarding Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen series and Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone.

You would think with Westworld’s current season just ending this upcoming weekend they would not only give it a panel but make it one of the biggest of the entire con. Love it or hate it, the show has TONS of fans who are emotionally invested and are no doubt disappointed that it won’t be at the biggest comic con of them all this year. I have to say, while I’ve never attended San Diego Comic Con I’ve always wanted to go at some point as a “bucket list” kind of thing. With that said, if there was ever a year I wasn’t interested in going, it would be this year.

Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone reboot is the only cool and new thing I’m that invested in because many people were comparing Get Out to a great episode of that show. Not a specific one that exists, but that the film succeeded in capturing the same kind of feel the Rod Serling show had with its tackling of complex social themes in a genre narrative.

We do know Preview Night’s offerings for Wednesday, July 18, so let’s post them. This is where the new shows get world premiere screenings before the Con officially opens, and this year is no exception:

Pilot Screenings (6-10PM, Ballroom 20)
NBC Presents Manifest: When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent, but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they’re all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible. From executive producer/writer Jeff Rake, and executive producers Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke and comes an emotionally rich, unexpected journey into a world grounded in hope, heart and destiny. The cast includes Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina and Parveen Kaur.

The CW Presents The 100’s season 5 premiere: Over the last four seasons The 100 have fought to survive against unimaginable odds, only to see the world end a second time. Season five begins six years later, with Bellamy’s team in space, Clarke on the ground, and hundreds trapped in the bunker below. But when a massive prison ship descends upon the last survivable place on earth, The 100 must come together to reclaim their home. As two armies converge on one valley, alliances will shift, friends will become foes, and the march to war threatens to destroy all that’s left of the human race. Can our heroes break the cycle, or is humanity doomed to repeat the past? In this epic battle for survival, one thing is certain: there are no good guys.

The CW Seed Presents Freedom Fighters/The Ray: All his life, Ray Terrill has fought injustice, dreaming of making a real difference like his older brother, a Marine who was killed in Afghanistan. One day, he stumbles upon a dying superhero from another Earth and is stunned to find that this superhero looks just like him – because it is! The dying Ray Terrill of Earth-X transfers photo-kinetic energy to this Earth’s Ray, making him a superhero; THE RAY. However, Ray quickly learns being a Super Hero isn’t all hanging muggers from streetlamps and fighting giant robots. As the evil Nazi New Reichsmen of Earth-X, led by Overgirl close in, The Ray must learn to harness his powers by coming to terms with his true self, even if that means also finally coming out of the closet to his parents. The fate of Earth-X depends on it!

3-3:50PM Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront SyFy presents: Nightflyers panel/Q&A. From the mind of George R.R. Martin, this highly anticipated new SYFY series is a psychological thriller set in the year 2093 that follows a team of scientists aboard the most advanced ship ever built. Their mission takes them to the edge of space and the edge of insanity, as they realize true horror isn’t waiting for them out there — it’s already on their ship. Unlike anything you’ve seen before, NIGHTFLYERS combines horror and science fiction in a way that Martin himself has described as “Psycho in space.” Join the cast and creators for an exclusive look into this exciting new series. Panelists include actors Jeff Buhler, Eoin Macken, Gretchen Mol, David Ajala, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gene Klein and David Bartis.

*1-2PM: Mayans, M.C. The next chapter of the “Sons of Anarchy” saga is set in a post-Jax Teller world. Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp. Panel with co-creator/exec producer, writer and director Kurt Sutter plus co-creator/co-exec producer/writer Elgin James, exec producer/director Norberto Barba, and stars JD Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Edward James Olmos, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Antonio Jaramillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, Danny Pino, Emilio Rivera, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, and Vincent Rocco Vargas.

2-2:50 PM, Indigo Ballroom: The CW Presents: Legacies panel with exec producer Julie Plec and series stars Danielle Rose Russell and Matthew Davis. The story follows 17-year-old Hope Mikaelson (daughter of Klaus Mikaelson) along with Alaric Saltzman and his twins at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted as they come of age in the most unconventional way.

6:45-7:45 PM, Room 6A: History Presents: Project Blue Book panel with creator/co-exec producer/writer David O’Leary, showrunner/EP/writer Sean Jablonski and actors Aidan Gillen, Michael Malarkey, Neal McDonough, and Laura Mennell. The series is based on the true, top-secret investigations into UFOs and related phenomena conducted by the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1969.

No ABC participation at all. But they’re Disney, too, so maybe they’re skipping San Diego just like their Disney and Marvel counterparts. Take these numbers and interpret them whatever way you choose. 🙂

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